The seminal and oft-cited estimate offered more than 20 years ago by the national Institute of Medicine concerning the number of people who die annually in American hospitals owing to medical mistakes was for some time viewed as unrealistic.The IOM report entitled "To...
Breslin & Breslin, P.A.
Doctors’ failure to diagnose breast cancer may cost woman’s life
When you go to a doctor about a medical concern, you expect to be told the truth, not given a comforting half-truth. In the case of a woman now facing the probability of premature death, however, that was apparently the mistake by her radiologist and gynecologist.When...
House committee investigates jump in VA medical malpractice cases
Last year, the Department of Veterans Affairs paid out $91.7 million in medical malpractice claims -- the most in at least 12 years, according to the Government Accountability Office. That represented more than 1,500 malpractice claims against VA providers, which...
Study: accuracy lacking in reporting of robotic surgery errors
"We still don't really know what the true answer is," says Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine surgical professor Martin A. Makary.That is unfortunate, given that the question pertains to surgical error and the number of mistakes that are made when surgeons...
Despite surgical checklists, preventable errors persist
Few consumers and hospital patients in New Jersey or elsewhere across the country would credit the medical industry with a fool-proof safety standard and performance record. Most people know -- anecdotally, through diverse media reports and, perhaps, from their own...
Are negligent doctors slipping through the cracks?
Patients have the right to expect that their doctors are qualified professionals who will help them and not cause them harm through medical negligence. To help protect patients, state governments across the country have established medical boards that are in charge of...
C-section rate in New Jersey hospitals among highest in the nation
The World Health Organization recommends that pregnant women ready to deliver their babies undergo cesarean sections in only a small minority of cases. In fact, WHO cites a figure of 15 percent or less as being optimal.If that number represents the gold standard, the...
Technology in the operating room: a double-edged sword
Some industries are comparatively high-tech, and there is certainly no disputing that the medical industry is among the most technologically oriented of all work realms. Hospitals in New Jersey and all other states across the country employ ultra-sophisticated...
Majority of doctors, nurses see colleagues risking patient safety
Most of us would expect doctors and nurses to wash their hands and change their rubber gloves before delivering a baby, but a majority of medical professionals who responded to a survey said they had seen their colleagues fail to take these sanitary measures.And the...
Keeping Safe Premises
In New Jersey and New York, property managers have a legal obligation to maintain safe premises for their visitors and workers. This means that, in addition to clearing hazards that may arise naturally or as a consequence of daily use (spills, icy surfaces), property...
